Zachary Levi Heads To Toronto To Start Work On Shazam!

Zachary Levi is heading to Toronto to begin work on the DC superhero movie Shazam! Few could have anticipated how quickly this DCEU project has moved along, especially given its somewhat rocky start. Geoff Johns broke a lot of hearts when he announced that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam wouldn’t be making an appearance. Shazam’s arch-nemesis had seemed like a shoe-in for the film, so fans were definitely feeling let down there. A few weeks later, Levi’s casting in the lead role proved to be a bit more divisive than DC had probably hoped it would be. The lukewarm reception to Justice League certainly didn’t help matters.

The production does appear to be progressing nicely, however, and the fast-tracked start date is definitely a positive sign. The film has been rounding out its cast in recent weeks, adding up-and-comers like Asher Angel and Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead) to the proceedings in the last few weeks. Fellow fresh faces like Grace Fulton and Jack Dylan Grazer (IT) have also joined the cast in the last month. With industry veteran Mark Strong rumored to be playing the main villain, things are really coming together nicely for Shazam!

With cameras set to roll on Shazam! in February, it looks like the star of the show is looking to get a head start on things. Levi took to Instagram to tease fans with the upcoming start of production earlier today, live-streaming his trip to Toronto. You can check out a snippet of the live stream below thanks to Twitter user flashcyborg.

It’s great to see how excited Levi is to get started on his biggest project to date. The 37-year-old was certainly an unexpected choice to play Shazam/the OG Captain Marvel, though it looks like fans are finally coming around on the casting decision. His charm is evident on and off screen, and he could prove to be an inspired choice for the role.

The DCEU as a whole had a pretty up and down year in 2017. After Wonder Woman debuted to critical acclaim and box office success, seemingly setting the shared universe back on the path to greatness, Justice League went in the exact opposite direction. With more fans talking about a possible alternate cut than the film itself, the DCEU needs all the positivity it can get at this point. Here’s hoping Levi and co. can deliver with Shazam!